Kukla's Korner Hockey

There’s one card Burke could play, one that would turn relations between the two clubs downright ugly.

The Leaf GM could lay down a huge, multi-year, multi-million offer sheet next Monday for the other Vancouver goalie, 26-year-old restricted free agent Cory Schneider, the Canucks goalie every team would rather get if they had a choice.

That wouldn’t get them Schneider; Vancouver would have to match rather than accept multiple first rounders from Toronto.

But it would force Vancouver’s hand in the same way San Jose forced Chicago to let Antti Niemi go a few years ago by signing Niklas Hjalmarsson. Let’s say the Schneider offer was eight years for $40 million. The Canucks would be stuck with more than $10 million in annual goalie costs, with both at lengthy terms. The Leafs could also, if they wanted, load the deal with so-called “lockout” money, say $15 million in the first year that would be Schneider’s even if there’s a lockout next season.

If you’re the Leafs, why not? Worst thing that could happen is you might actually get Schneider, or that the Canucks might poach Leaf RFAs down the line.

This whole thing is insane. It’s an albatross of a contract and if someone wants to take the mistake off your hands, take the cap space, thank Toronto, and run! To hell with trying to get prospects—just dump the damn contract. Burke should give Gillis the silent treatment.

I don’t think Cox knows how offer sheets work. That would be 5 million a year and the Leafs if they get him have they would have to give the Canucks a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round pick (has to be thier own, so they might not be able to do it in the first place). That is a lot to give a goalie who has never been a full time starter and a lot to give up for a team with a lot of holes beyond goalie. It could end up being the Kessel Trade 2.0

Further why would Schnieder want to sign it? He can still use the offer to leverage the Canucks to a better deal knowing they have chosen him over Lou and he doesn’t risk going from a good team to a bad team.

The reason why offer sheets aren’t handed out is because it is a poor way to go about building your team. The cost is too high. The system is intentionally designed for offer sheets to not be given out.

It’s not really an “albatross” contract at all. There’s an out clause for either side in 2yrs and the last 3 yrs could be easily and cheaply bought out if he doesn’t retire. As long as a team can afford 6.7mil per year (like Toronto) the cap hit being only 5.33 is a relative bargain. Also teams are willing to trade for him right now so obviously the contract is not that much of a hindrance. The only question is what will the market bare in terms of his worth and I think that has as much to do with questions surrounding his occasional melt downs as his contract.

Also teams are willing to trade for him right now so obviously the contract is not that much of a hindrance.

Are they? Sure, Gillis has gotten calls but there’s no indication that he’s being offered a lot or they might have already signed Schneider and dealth Lu-ser.

I love that, at this time of year, everyone forgets everything that we know about certain GMs.

Should Burke offer sheet Schneider? Yeah, that’s like, considering how outspoken he was about it when Penner was offer sheeted.

Should Burke go after Luongo? Yeah, because he’s never ever been outspoken about how much he dislikes those types of “retirement” contracts. But hey, there’s only TEN F*CKING YEARS left on Luongo’s contract, that’s not considered long-term, right?

Hey, I heard that he’s trying to get the CBC to can Don Cherry, but that’s probably only because he wants Cherry as his new coach for the Leafs, right?

Getting calls doesn’t mean serious offers. It measn nothing. Every single team would have interest in just about any player in the NHL given the right circumstances. If you equate “there have been calls” with “serious interest” then you don’t know what you’re talking about.